Remembering a special season for Murray football

MURRAY — The boys of fall reunited in Murray earlier this season.

They stepped back out under the lights on a mild mid-October Friday.

There, they heard all about the accomplishments of the most successful season up to that point in Murray football history.

Stories were shared. Players caught up. They cracked a few jokes, shared a lot of smiles with their teammates, coaches and supporters.

Keith Shields, the coach of that 2011 Murray state finalist squad, said two-thirds of the team came home to be honored by the Mustang faithful.

“It was great to see all of the guys we had back,” Shields said.

It was a night for the school and community to celebrate a team that brought the town together like few things ever have.

***

The 2011 Murray team had 35 players out, one of its largest groups ever, Shields recalled.

From the start of practice in early August, the team had a blue-collar work ethic.

Some of the things that stand out to me about that group were how hard they worked, how competitive they were, their attention to detail, and how well most of the team got a long with one another,” Shields said.

Their hard work showed up in practice.

“Some of our practices were more competitive than some of the games we had that season,” Shields said.

Having 35 players out for an Eight-player team gave the Mustangs an advantage.

“The depth that we had on that team was unbelievable,” Shields said.

It just wasn’t one grade that powered the Mustangs.

“We got contributions from people in all four grade levels that season,” Shields said.

The seniors guided, molded the rest of the team.

“The seniors on that team were not the headliners, but they all worked extremely hard and became leaders for us that season,” Shields said. “They were a blue collar group that never complained and pushed everyone to get better as the season went on.”

The 2011 team excelled in all facets of the game.

“They were an exciting team to watch in all three phases of the game,” Shields said. “We had offensive and special teams players that could score on any play and a defensive squad that knew their responsibilities.”

The final score mattered more than who made the plays.

“We had players that just wanted to win, not worried about their stats, their playing time or who got the credit,” Shields said.

The talent on the field would eventually be recognized at the state level after the season.

“We had eight different players on that team that would receive some sort of all-state Honors in their football career,” Shields said.

***

The seeds for the 2011 team were sown at the end of the 2010 campaign.

The 2010 team was the first in school history to make the playoffs, but their maiden voyage into the second season didn’t last long. Grandview Park Baptist, now Grand View Christian, ended Murray’s season with a 50-0 win in the opening round of the playoffs.

It left those coming back for 2011 hungry.

"Right after that game those guys committed themselves to prepare for the 2011 season," Shields said.

***

The 2011 season started promising. The Mustangs jumped out to a 4-0 start.

Then came a week five showdown with Eight-player power Adair-Casey.

The Bombers took that game 80-40.

“Our original game plan did not work, but we started moving the ball and scoring some points in the second half,” Shields said.

Even with the loss, the Mustangs took plenty away from it.

“I can still remember quarterback Austin Halls telling everyone on the team after that loss, ‘We can play with A-C!!’” Shields recalled.

***

The loss to the Bombers started one of the most memorable eight game stretches in Murray football history.

In week nine, the Mustangs earned a 36-28 win at CAM, which clinched the district runner-up spot and a home game in the first round of the playoffs back in the 32-team playoff format.

Round one featured a 70-14 win over Twin Cedars, Murray’s first-ever win in the playoffs.

That win set the tone for the next several games.

“After getting that playoff win, our confidence continued to grow," Shields said. "We fought our way all the way to the championship game."

Next was a date with Lenox. The Mustangs dominated both sides of the ball thoroughly in rolling to a 58-0 win.

Murray finished with 509 yards of offense. The Mustang defense held the Tigers to negative six yards of offense.

It was the Mustangs second win over Lenox that season.

Prior to that season, they had not defeated Lenox since 1987.

Lenox’s tradition motivated Murray.

“Coach Dukes and his Lenox teams that had made it to the (UNI) Dome and won a championship were inspiration for teams in our area that others could do it as well,” Shields said.

Up next was a rematch with Adair-Casey in Adair.

The night will go down as one of the top moments in Murray football history.

The Mustangs topped the Bombers 70-54.

Shields recalled the Mustang faithful both on the road and when they returned home.

“The Murray crowd was awesome,” Shields said. “The reception back at the school was outstanding.”

Murray was headed to the semifinals and the UNI-Dome for the first time in school history.

Those two weeks were memorable.

“Back to back victories over Lenox and A-C were special,” Shields said.

But the best was yet to come.

***

The semifinal featured a matchup with Clarksville.

Murray stumbled out of gates, falling behind 14-0 90 seconds into the game thanks to two fumbles.

The Mustangs dominated from there, outscoring the Indians 58-21 to win 58-35.

It put the Mustangs into the state championship game for the first time.

It set up a date in the state championship game with Fremont-Mills.

The final didn’t go the Mustangs way. The Knights, led by future Iowa standout defensive lineman Nate Meier, trounced Murray 81-0.

No team in Eight-player football compares to the Meier-led Knights in Shields’ mind.

“We lost to the best Eight-man team I have seen in Fremont-Mills,” Shields said. “They had the depth that I think they could have competed in the Class A, 1A and maybe even 2A playoffs.”

***

The school and community united behind Mustang football like few things ever have in the community over the 2011, and through the 2012 seasons.

“The excitement in our school and community was unbelievable,” Shields said. “We have always had great support, but the 2011 and 2012 seasons brought about unbelievable crowd support. It was something our coaches and players did not take for granted.”

***

The 2011 Mustangs still have an imprint on Shields’ mind.

“The memories about that season are clear enough that it seems like yesterday,” Shield said.

Their time on the field may have ended, but the players have moved on to do positive things beyond the high school football field.

“They are good guys that are continuing to make an impact in all that they are involved with,” Shields said.